Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday during an official visit to Greece, with the two countries elevating their already close ties to a strategic partnership through a Joint Declaration.
Sisi and Mitsotakis signed the declaration, which upgrades the partnership between the two countries, and co-chaired the inaugural plenary session of the Supreme Council of Cooperation between Egypt and Greece at the Maximos Mansion in the Greek capital.
The declaration emphasizes the alignment based on International Law in addressing regional challenges and promoting stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and highlights areas of cooperation and coordination, including political mechanisms, trade and investment, infrastructure, connectivity projects—particularly the Greece-Egypt GREGY interconnector—as well as defense, migration, culture and education.
The two sides also signed a number of MoUs (Memoranda of Understanding) for further cooperation in areas of mutual interest, and addressed key regional issues.
“The regular consultations that have been agreed and the MoUs that have been signed open new and important routes, ranging from shipping and the economy to education, culture, bilateral trade and make our ties stronger,” Prime Minister Mitsotakis said during a press conference at the end of the meetings.
“Athens and Cairo are on the same side against the big challenges of our time,” Mitsotakis added. “Greece and Egypt are pillars of stability with common goals towards the big issues of the region.”
Regarding Cyprus, Mitsotakis said that “it’s not possible to float around non-accepted positions on [the solution of] two states nor provocative statements, which negatively charge the climate of dialogue and rapprochement, which we try to enhance.” Mitsotakis was referring to recent comments made by Turkish President Erdogan during a visit to occupied northern Cyprus, where he reaffirmed his position on a two-state solution on the Cyprus issue.
The Egyptian President reiterated the importance of the Joint Declaration and the strong ties between Greece and Egypt while making a special reference to the protection of the iconic Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. Catherine on the Sinai Peninsula.
He noted that Egypt wishes “to cooperate with Greece on natural gas and the issue of Egyptian workers.”
Greece and Egypt also agreed on measures to address illegal migration and terrorism. Regarding the war on Gaza, Sisi stressed that “there must be a ceasefire, that the hostages are returned and [Gaza residents] remain at their homes,” while asking for respect to international law.
Following the meetings in Athens, Sisi will depart for Cyprus, which is part of the Greece-Cyprus-Egypt tripartite.
Earlier, President Sisi met with his Greek counterpart Konstantinos Tasoulas at the Presidential Mansion in Athens, where Sisi underscored Egypt’s commitment to regional peace and cooperation with Greece. He noted that this was his first visit to the country, calling it a testament to the strong and enduring friendship between the two countries.
Tasoulas echoed Sisi’s comments while emphasizing that the partnership still has “room for improvement,” particularly in the fields of energy, security, education and culture.
Turning to regional developments, the Greek President expressed his concerns in the broader Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa. “Your country exerts significant influence in this part of the world,” Tasoulas told Sisi, adding that both nations are committed to advancing dialogue, supporting ceasefire initiatives and ensuring the safe return of Israeli hostages from Gaza.
Sisi echoed these concerns, stating that Egypt is working to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate the return of hostages. On migration, he called for coordinated efforts between the two countries on addressing illegal routes and stressed the need to manage legal migration in a structured manner.
“Egypt and Greece both have a vested interest in [regional] stability,” he said.
Greece and Egypt signed an agreement on the establishment of the High-Level Cooperation Council in Cairo in March 2024, which laid the framework for the Supreme Council’s first session on Wednesday.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi signed the agreement prior to a joint meeting between the two leaders, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and the leaders of Belgium, Italy, Austria and Cyprus.
